Reviewer: Will Porter, contributor Model tested: Albany Park Lido Sofa The details: Founded by Jessica Ross and Darryl Sharpton, Albany Park aims to make showroom-worthy pieces at a price point that won’t break the bank. The furniture brand specializes in sofas and other lounge seating, ranging from room-spanning sectionals for your living room to single-seater reading chairs. Clever has personally tried out Albany Park’s sectional sofa in white bouclé, and found it to be a plush yet firm and functional piece of furniture.
How much does it cost? Are there payment plans available?
The price of the Lido 75″ sofa depends on the materials you want to use. I got the Lido in vegan leather with brass legs, which was about $1,509 (though it is on sale at the time of writing). The three velvet options are slightly cheaper, coming in at $1,459. If you don’t want to drop all that cash in one go, Albany Park does offer the option to pay over time with Affirm. You can pay over the course of 3, 6, or 12 months, or pay it off in full with no penalty.
What are the upholstery or customization options? Did you choose any?
The Lido offers a range of upholstery and color options: three velvet hues, two bouclé options, a gray performance fabric, two basketweave choices, and brown vegan leather. If you’re stumped on which fabric option to get, the brand offers free swatches on their website. Just got to the “order free swatches” portion of the website, and click on the Albany Park collection you’re buying from. You can also choose between four leg styles: matte brass, brown oak, natural oak, and black. The Lido is available as an armchair or in two different sofa sizes. I personally got the smaller 75″ size in vegan leather with brass legs.
What is the lead time for customization, manufacturing, and delivery?
Right now, the Lido will ship one week after the order date, regardless of your color and leg choice. Once shipped, delivery times will vary depending on your location. Mine took five business days from the ship date to delivery.
What kind of couch or seating arrangement did you have before, and what drew you to your new couch?
Prior to testing out the Lido, my living room was a hodgepodge of mismatched chairs, a random ottoman, and a random coffee table from Facebook Marketplace. I was especially drawn to the Lido because I felt like it would really tie the mismatched room together. Its enduring design, simplicity, and ability to resist the damage my pets constantly unleash on my living room seating were all factors that drew me to the Lido. I knew that if my cat wasn’t tempted to dig his razor sharp nails into the vegan leather, the Lido was the ideal couch for my home.
Delivery and assembly
What was the delivery process like?
Like any large package (and this was large), delivery can be a bit tricky. On the day of delivery, a freight driver pulled up to my house in a semi and lowered the couch onto the street. It came in three packages stacked on top of a wood pallet, two of which I was able to move from the street into my house on my own. The other I needed the help of my partner to move it inside. There wasn’t a white-glove delivery option, but you do get free shipping when you buy Albany Park furniture, so I was happy to do a bit of work myself.
What was the assembly process like? How long did it take and how many people?
Assembly was extremely easy. Albany Park claims that the couch should only take five minutes to assemble and I’m surprised (and pleased) to say that is an accurate estimate. The couches come with hardware pre-installed. That means there are no tools required to put it together, and instead the hardware fits together with interlocking brackets. These brackets fit together easily, but if you push or pull in the wrong direction, they can come undone (which may be a nuisance if you ever want to move it without fully taking it apart). My partner and I were able to piece everything at home together in no time and we quickly had a brand new couch. I will say, be prepared to deal with a lot of cardboard.
After delivery
What are the dimensions? How does it fit in your space? Would it be better suited for a different type of home?
I tested out the Lido 75″, which is the smaller option. It’s 75 inches wide, 32 inches high, and 37.5 inches deep. This isn’t the deepest couch out there, but with a bit of scooching I can comfortably sit on it cross legged or stretch my legs out to the coffee table without my butt sliding off. Our living room isn’t the most spacious of rooms, but it does need a piece to provide a separation between living and dining. The sofa is large enough to split the area like we wanted, while still giving us room to walk around and play with the rest of the layout. It’s a great centerpiece that won’t dominate a small space if you don’t want it to.
Sit test: Is it comfortable? Does it feel well-made? Does the couch have a tendency to sag?
As I noted before, the 37.5-inch depth is enough to comfortably sit in a number of positions without making it feel like you’re so sunk in that you can’t get up. The seat and back cushions are thick and supportive, helping create an upright sitting position that is easy to maintain without much effort. The vegan leather is very soft, but it is also pretty slick. The cushions tend to slide around, so if you launch yourself onto the couch you might find that all of the cushions are pushed out of place. This could probably be solved with an anti-slip mat or some velcro, but it’s something to consider if you want to just set it and forget it.
Aside from the slippery cushions, the couch is very comfortable. It’s sturdy, feels very well-made, and doesn’t sag at all, even when loaded down with three or four people. Even though it’s not technically a love seat, I think the size and shape of the cushions make the Lido best for seating two people at a time.
Lay test: Is it comfortable? Does it feel well-made? Does the couch have a tendency to sag?
I’ll mention the slippery cushions one more time here, and then I’m done. If you are lying down and don’t move at all, the cushions will stay put. If you want to move around or change positions, you will find that the seat cushions slide out toward the floor. I do think this is an issue that is likely isolated to the vegan leather version—the other material options would probably generate a bit more friction and stay in place.
Other than that, it’s a super comfy leather sofa that is easy to spread out on. It supports your back well and provides consistent firmness across its entire length, except for a narrow gap between seat cushions.
Is the sofa suitable for particular decor styles and if so, which?
In my opinion, this Albany Park sofa is an excellent option for a variety of decor styles. Its subtle modern design won’t draw unwanted attention and anyone who takes a close look will easily see the sofa’s high-quality and sophisticated look. It serves me well as the focal point of my living room, but it could also easily work as extra seating in an office or den.
Is it durable and practical in a modern home?
The couch has been in our home for a few months now and we’ve had absolutely no issues with durability. Other than the cushion issue, it’s been smooth sailing. It’s immensely practical for any lounging need, whether that’s ending an evening with a book in one hand and a cat in the other or watching our dog vault himself over the couch when he gets the zoomies.
Is the couch kid- and/or dog-friendly?
Yes, this does seem to be quite pet-friendly. Our dog weighs about 45 pounds and usually has pretty long nails. This could be a recipe for damage, but we’ve had no scratches, punctures, or any other cosmetic issues to deal with. The cat also loves to dig its nails into every piece of furniture we have, but the Lido seems immune to any pawing thanks to the soft, slick vegan leather. On top of all that, it cleans up super easily and doesn’t trap a lot of pet hair.
What are the care and cleaning instructions? Do you think stains could be easily removed?
Though the Lido sofa is stain resistant, Albany Park recommends vacuuming and light brushing to keep it clean—both of which were easy to do on the faux leather surface. We haven’t had to spray it down or clean up any spills, but the brand asserts clean-up is easy if you use water-based, non-abrasive cleaner, mild detergent, foam, or pure, water-free solvents.
Do the photos do this product justice? Was there anything you were surprised to see IRL?
Honestly, the vegan leather looks even better in person than it does online. The images make the leather appear to have an orange hue, but we were happy to find that it is more brown in person. The brass legs look excellent and are more substantial in-hand than I thought they’d be. As a whole, the Lido was just what we expected and totally worth it.
Would the couch be easy to move into another room? Would it be easy to move to another apartment or home by yourself?
It’s not too heavy, but I would probably want to have help moving it into another room. The interlocking brackets may come apart if you try to move it solo, making it harder (and more frustrating) to move. That said, if you do want to move it by taking it apart, that’s easily doable with an extra set of hands.
Sectional grades
Comfort: B+ Value: A Delivery and assembly: A+ Style: A Overall couch rating: A
